SAVING MANGROVE FOREST : DLA to start road march to Sunderbans today

The leaders and activists of the Democratic Left Alliance, a combine of eight left leaning political parties, are scheduled to start their 3-day Dhaka-Sunderbans road march today as a part of their campaign to save the world’s largest mangrove forest from ‘destruction.’
The marchers will start their journey after holding a rally in front of the National Press Club on Friday morning, protesting construction of power plants near the Sunderbans, regarded as one of the World’s heritages.
The Communist Party of Bangladesh and the Socialist Party of Bangladesh on Thursday reached Magura in another march.
University of Dhaka professor emirates Serajul Islam Choudhury, National Committee convener Sheikh Muhammad Shaheedullah, member secretary Anu Muhammad, columnist Syed Abul Maksud, academics BD Rahmatulllah and the combine leaders are supposed to join the rally.
Around 500 leaders and activists will start their march, boarding buses and cars, to realise their demand for scrapping Rampal coal based thermal power plant and Orion Power Plant projects in Rampal.
The marchers will hold their concluding rally at Katakhali intersection in Bagerhat on October 18.
Saiful Huq, the coordinator of the combine on Saturday announced the 3-day programme in a press conference in the city.
‘One of the prime reasons of the road march is to make people aware about the consequences of the plant and   involve them in the movement, ‘Saiful Huq had said.
Meanwhile, leaders of CPB and SPB on Thursday at different rallies on their way to the mangrove forest in a similar programme called on the government to stay away from implementing the coal-based power plants in the
vicinities of the Sunderbans.
At a rally in Magura, CPB adviser Manzurul Ahsan Khan said in India their company NTPC had failed to execute a similar thermal power plant near the Indian part of the forest.
He said in Bangladesh they were jointly constructing Rampal Thermal Power Plant with the government of Bangladesh.
Manzur said at a rally in Magura that the people would not accept the plants near the Sunderbans as those plants would destroy the forest, reported our Magura corresp-ondent.
The leaders also addressed various rallies in Faridpur, Modhukhali and Jhenaidah.
SPB general secretary Khalequzzaman, central leaders Bazlur Rashid Firoz, Razequzzaman Ratan, CPB central leaders Ruhin Hossain Prince, Sajjad Zahir Chandan, Kafee Ratan, among others spoke at those rallies.

- See more at: http://newagebd.net/166984/saving-mangrove-forest-dla-to-start-road-march-to-sunderbans-today/#sthash.d9gJmIpq.dpuf